The Man Who Bought Minneapolis

His detractors called him a ruthless “Plunderer of the Prairie.” He saw himself as an ambitious dreamer. History labeled him “The Empire Builder.” This critically acclaimed one-man show reveals both the public and private lives of controversial railroad tycoon James J. Hill, whose presence and vision dominated the Northwest. (More) Hill’s Great Northern traversed Minnesota, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and California in the United States, along with parts of Canada (British Columbia and Manitoba). In the first act, we meet Hill in his late 40s as he bedevils a journalist come to discover his business secrets. In the second act, now in his 70s and at the zenith of his powers, the titan tangles with a rebellious granddaughter and weighs his life choices. Premiered by a Guthrie Theatre company member and revived in 2024 and 2025, this is a tour de force for an actor of gravitas and wit.